Submitted Surname Revision History

The surname that can have one of two origins. In some cases, it is derived from the ancient German given name, Rando, whose origins lie in the word rand, meaning "rim of shield". It can also be from Middle High German ranz or ranze, meaning "strife" or "sow", or Middle High German rans, meaning "paunch", as a nickname from any of these senses.
Ranz has also been a surname assigned to eastern Ashkenazic Jews from either German rans "proboscis", or German ranze "sow".